Another thread for the *best* replacement panels..was rear ended

[andrewtf]

I could put this in the "what did you do for your Bay recently" thread because what I did was not get arrested and thrown in jail for beating the teenager who "Just looked away for a second" to a bloody pulp.

I may get away with only needing the entire corner metal (bumper to drip rail) as he hit me in exactly the spot to not really fuck up any other panel more than can be reasonably fixed.

So - what vendor is currently favored for these panels?

Yes, I searched but the opinions seem to change fairly frequently, and the vendors quality seems to go up and down.......

FYI - he crunched my super expensive deep cycle agm batter too.
I see no frame damage, but something might crop up when things get started.

FUCK (sorry)
and thanks
Andrew
_________________
'75 Riviera - 'BIG EMMA' (Pan American highway trip paused for a make over)
'77 Riviera - Murphy' (being reborn.... slowly)
'63 Austin Healey

[alman72]

just looked away to look at his phone...
that sucks. how sick did you feel when that happened?
its just stuff, and the important thing is everyone is ok.
good luck w the repairs.

[cmonSTART]

Ouch, that really sucks!

Like you said though, if there was a silver lining it's that beyond that corner it really doesn't look too bad.

Did he (or his parents) have insurance?
_________________
'78 Bus 2.0FI
de K1IGS

[KentABQ]

Ouch!

After all those years of being in the body shop, it hurts to see this happen.
And while it looks horrible, it appears the one panel will be the only one need replacing. Fingers crossed.

Is it ever too late to catch the guy in an alley and have a "conversation" with him?
_________________
-Kent-
1976 Riviera, 1.8l FI chrome yellow VAN - "Chloe"

"I must say, how can you be in a bad mood driving this vehicle full of vibrant color.
Cars of today are so bland in comparison. It's like driving a celebration!" ---WildIdea

Bus ownership via emoticons:
---williamM

[71whitewesty]

Damn, real sorry to see this. This almost happened to me a month ago but my bike rack saved the bus.
How about these?

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=2317534
_________________
71 Westy 1600 DP, all stock Bus 1
1970's Snow Trac 1600 SP (sold 12/2016)
1968 Tucker sno cat, sold 2021
1969 Tucker Sno cat 542
2017 VW Alltrac
71 tin top stock 1600 DP (project but runs)
Twin 71 White Westy, Bus 2, that I pulled from a 15 year slumber in a dry eastern WA field in 2015.
1966 Sundial Camper "Boomer"

[alman72]

^this got me thinking...how about getting what you need from a donor bus?

[andrewtf]

I am generally not a hostile guy - unless you really piss me off.
In this kind of situation I try to remember that no matter how pissed I am, the other guy is probably more sorry and shitting his pants. He was polite, very apologetic, and appropriately ashamed. And is insured.

It may be fun..... the pick up he was driving is owned by Autozone. I suspect he was delivering a part and was checking his phone gps to see if he needed to turn at the fairly major intersection we were crossing. He did get a ticket, but nothing about texting.

Insurance guys are in the mix now, so we'll see how it goes. I have no idea what they will say about replacement panels. The only good news is that I can take it to the shop that did the original body work. This is an insurance repair - so I am confident I will get me bus back faster than the 665 days it took initially. Fortunately, the shop listens to me about where to get panels.

I'll try to keep this loop circling and will report back at some point about the progress.

thanks everyone
Andrew
_________________
'75 Riviera - 'BIG EMMA' (Pan American highway trip paused for a make over)
'77 Riviera - Murphy' (being reborn.... slowly)
'63 Austin Healey

[crownline]

Bummer about that damage. Looks like that was repaired in the past. Hopefully no other problems show up.
_________________
1972 Bus 1700 cc Single Carb. But not a progressive.
Barelymuvin
Wish I still had the ones I got rid of.

"It"s got some dings and dents and neither of us is going to SEMA."(Update, I went to SEMA in 2019 but the Bus stayed home)
[url=http://www.vw-mplate.com/mplate-8446.png]Click to view image[/URL]

[jtauxe]

My favored solutions for the panel would be, in this order:

1. Original German rust-free perfect panel off a donor bus. It may take some work to clean it up, but that is part of the cost, and insurance has it covered.

2. One of those Brazilian panels. I suspect they are of lighter gauge that the OG, but am not sure.

3. KlassicFab, if they have it.

4. Alan Schofield, if they have it.
_________________
John
"Travelling in a fried-out Kombi, on a hippie trail, head full of zombie..." - Colin Hay and Ron Strykert
http://vw.tauxe.net
1969 Transporter, 1971 Westfalia, 1976, 1977, 1976, 1977, 1971, 1973, 1977 Westfalias,
1979 Champagne Sunroof, 1974 Westfalia Automatic, 1979 Transporter, 1972 Sportsmobile, 1973 Transporter Wild Westerner, 1974 Westfalia parts bus, 1975 Mexican single cab *FOR SALE*, 1978 Irish 4-door double cab RHD

[cmonSTART]

Don't assume insurance has this covered. They may be thinking right now "Wow, I'm glad it's 40 years old - probably some beater. Give him his $100 and let's total it."

Andrew may have a fight coming.
_________________
'78 Bus 2.0FI
de K1IGS

[Cap10323]

[SGKent]

Sucks

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=2317534

Call around to the Audi, Ferrari, Porsche, Acura, Tesla dealers and see who does their bodywork. You want the best. You do NOT want to use the body shop the Insurance company suggests. Your bus IS worth $30,000 +/- and there are people here who will attest to that. Do not let the Insurance company total it. Lots of us here have our buses insured on agreed value to $35,000 - $70,000 or more. It is near impossible to replace one today for less unless you do all the work.

Frankly I think when someone hits someone due to phone, shaving, makeup etc., they should have be given a choice of having their driving privileges suspended, or schlepping in the body shop doing menial tasks on all their time off until the car is fixed to your satisfaction. And if a car is totaled it is one year picking up trash on a trash gang. And if you are never satisfied then they can pay you the lost value of your car because all the insurance company will do is make it look close to the same.
_________________
“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin

[busmania]

I did this repair on my 71. I could not find a “new” corner (maybe only available in Europe if I remember correctly) so I cut one off a donor. I just did beltline down though and also had to do the wheel well area. If you search my threads I did a pretty in depth thread on the replacement. Really wasn’t bad just took a lot of time.

[Manfred58sc]

I have that corner ( OG is the best way to go ) for sale. PM for details

Thanks
_________________
Fat chick owner/operator

[ImAddicted]

I’ve got nothing constructive to add, but man, so sorry.
_________________
1979 Transporter (sold)
KC1MUR

[KentABQ]

[Slip356]

At least your a CUBS fan!

[andrewtf]

Ironic that you posted.... and when I opened my computer this morning, this was the top thread.

Ironic in that - this accident occured on September 30, 2020 and I dropped my bus off at the shop about 10 minutes ago on my way to work....January 15, 2021. They had to make the space and time for me.

It did take me hours and hours to dis-assmeble all the cabinetry, wiring, and everything else from that corner so the shop has access. And I'll have even more hours and hours putting all back together again when I get this back. Oh well...... I love my bus, and an excuse to spend some more bonding time is not all that bad I suppose.

The frame was tweeked a bit in the accident and the majority of the metal and other bits are coming from Heritage - accross the pond.

At least my bus can be warmer and cosier over the winter. We got our first real snowfall last night (very late for us), and with Big Emma home for an extended period, my bus Murphy lives outside.

I'll keep this process up to date from time to time as to the progress.
_________________
'75 Riviera - 'BIG EMMA' (Pan American highway trip paused for a make over)
'77 Riviera - Murphy' (being reborn.... slowly)
'63 Austin Healey

[andrewtf]

Oh yea....
I almost forgot


Go Cubs!
_________________
'75 Riviera - 'BIG EMMA' (Pan American highway trip paused for a make over)
'77 Riviera - Murphy' (being reborn.... slowly)
'63 Austin Healey

[airschooled]

I just dressed up a freshly painted bus this week, that had both rear corners replaced with the Klockerholm panels. The left side went together without a hitch, so even if you got the cheap panels you should be good for reassembly. (The right side required about an hour of grinder work and touch up paint to get the tail light housing to fit…)

Go Cubs! (I caught for Mike Montgomery in little league, so I'm a little biased…)

Robbie
_________________
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